Footwear holder



May 6, 1969 SALZMAN 3,441,967

FOOTWEAR HOLDER Filed Dec. 14, 1967 nvvswroe Poul SALZ/VA/V PATENT 465N7- United States Patent Office 3,441,967 Patented May 6, 1969 3,441,967 FOOTWEAR HOLDER Paul Salzman, 976 Moncrielf Road, Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada Filed Dec. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 690,476 Int. Cl. A43d 3/14, /00

U.S. Cl. 12-1205 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shoe holder, in which a pair of shoes are supported on each side of a rigid flat strip by a heel grip and a toe clamp, so as to hold the soles in fiat condition, each toe clamp consisting of a pivoted member adapted to overlie the front end of the shoe and a pivoted handle member for each pivoted member serving to lock the toe clamp in its clamping position, each pivoted member being provided with a spring return normally urging the same into open position, so as to considerably facilitate manipulation of the handle member to close the clamp.

The present invention relates to shoe holders, or socalled shoe trees, comprising a flat strip adapted to receive shoes or boots on each side thereof, one end of the strip being provided with a heel grip on each side and the other end of the strip being provided with a toe clamp on each side of the strip, whereby the boot soles are maintained in fiat condition along the strip on opposite sides thereof.

In applicants previous US. Patent No. 2,680,258, dated June 8, 1954, entitled Shoe Holder, there is described a shoe holder of the above-mentioned character, in which the handle members apart from being used as a means to carry the assembly of the shoe holder and boots, serve to lock the toe clamp in its clamping position by a wedging action exerted on the upper end of the strip.

In the above-mentioned patent, the pivoted member is free to pivot between open and closed position and it therefore frequently happens that users would try to pull on the handle to open the pivoted member in order to insert the front end of the boot sole under the same, thereby, in fact, closing the pivoted member instead of opening the same. The proper manipulation is, of course, to first fully open the handle member relative to the pivoted member and then push the handle member towards the strip in order to open the pivoted member to thereby be able to insert the front portion of the sole underneath the pivoted member and then pivot the handle member to close and lock the same. This manipulation is rather complicated for persons not conversant with mechanical systems and it frequently happens that persons would bend or damage the handle member out of use while trying to clamp boots on the shoe tree.

It is, therefore, the general object of the present invention to obviate the above-noted disadvantage in a shoe holder, or tree, of the character described.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toe clamp in which the pivoted member automatically takes an open position when released by the handle, to thereby facilitate removal of the shoes, or boots, from underneath these pivoted members and to considerably facilitate the clamping of boots on the strip of the shoe tree or holder.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a shoe holder of the character described, which, due to the above-mentioned means, prevents bending or other damages to the toe clamp.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the shoe holder in accordance with the invention in sh0e-clamping positiong;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the toe portion of the shoe holder showing one clamp not quite fully open and the other clamp in closed position;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section of the toe portion of the shoe holder in the position of FIGURE 2 and taken along line 3-3 of FIGURES 4 and 5;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the toe portion of the shoe holder showing a clamp in closed position; and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 4 showing a clamp in open position.

In the drawings, like reference characters indicate like elements throughout.

The shoe tree comprises a body or strip 1 consisting of an extruded non-corrosive metal, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, reinforced on its longitudinal sides by ribs 2. The body or strip 1 has extension pieces (not shown) adjustably and longitudinally secured to the body 1 and carrying at their outer ends a heel grip 3 protruding from each face of the body 1. This construction is shown and described in the above-noted patent.

The opposite end portion of body 1 carries on each opposite face thereof a toe clamp assembly 4 in accordance with the invention. The two toe clamp assemblies are symmetrically disposed and each comprises a support bracket consisting of a cross piece 5 with outwardly turned ears 6. The two brackets are rivetted, or otherwise secured, to one another and to the intermediate strip 1.

The brackets 5 and 6 pivotally support a pivotal member in the form of a plate 8 provided on its sides with ears overlapping the ears 6 and interconnected thereto by pivot pins 7.

The sides of the pivoted plate are also provided with sleeve-like extensions or sockets 9, in which are anchored the legs 10 of a substantially U-shaped resilient toe clamp 11. The cross portion of the toe clamp 11, which is in the form of a resilient wire, is slightly concave, as shown at 12, to conform to the rounded end of the shoe or boot to be clamped on the shoe tree, said boot being shown at 13 in FIGURE 1.

In accordance with the invention, spring means are arranged so as to urge the clamp 11 into open position, that is in the position shown on the left hand side in FIGURES 2 and 3 and releasing the boot 13.

These spring means consist of a spring wire 14 bent into a rounded U 15, when seen in plan view as shown in FIGURE 4, said U portion being disposed underneath the rounded end portion of the pivoted plate 8 and being located in this position by means of lugs 16 and by the inturned flange 17 depending from the marginal rounded portion of plate 8.

The spring U portion 15 is extended under both sides of the plate by spirals or coils 18 disposed in planes at right angles to the axis of the pivot pins 17; these coils 18 are substantially coaxial with and adjacent the respective pivot pins 7 on the inside thereof. The free ends of the coils 18 are straightened out and have a bent extension 19 abutting against the strip or body 1, as shown in FIG- URE 3.

The coil spring 14 urges pivoting movement of plate 8 such that the clamp 11 will normally be spaced from the body 1, as shown on the left hand side of FIGURES 2 and 3. This is the open position of the clamp 11.

Adjacent to its upper edge and at its rear face, the plate 8 is formed with apair of sleeves, or socket members 20, into which the ends of legs 21 of a loop-shaped handle member 22 are pivotally mounted.

As will be noted in FIGURES 2 and 3, the legs 21 are provided with elbows, or are sharply bent, as indicated at 23. In the open position of the clamp, sleeves 20 may abut strip 1 and the straight portions of the legs 21 adjacent socket members 20 may rest or bear flatly against the flat surface of body 1; then the elbows 23 are slightly on the outside of the end 24 of the body.

The loop-shaped handle member 22 is preferably covered with a lining of synthetic resin, as indicated at 25, or other material to insulate against cold.

The heel grip assembly 3 of the boot holder in accordance with the invention is similar to that described in applicants U.S. Patent 3,074,085.

As in the last-noted patent, the heel grips 3 are adjusted longitudinally of body 1, or strip 1, to the proper position, in accordance with the size of the boots or shoes to be clamped on the holder. The height of the heel grips is also adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the heel portion of the boot in a manner described in the last-noted patent.

The clamp being in open position, the back end of the sole of the shoe is inserted in the heel grip 3 and then the front end of the sole of the shoe is inserted under the clamp 11.

While holding the front end of the boot in position, the handle member 22 is pivoted in the direction of arrow 26; the elbows 23 bear against the strip 1 and thereby give leverage to the handle member 22. This causes closing movement of the clamp 11 which becomes resiliently pressed against the front end of the sole of the boot. In the closed position of the clamp, the straight portion of the handle members 22, forwardly of elbows 23, rests fiat against the strip 1 and, therefore, locks the clamp in closed position.

The same operation is repeated for the other boot 13 on the other side of strip 1. In the closed position of the two clamps, the two handle members 22 extend side by side, affording a convenient carrying means for the assembly of the shoe holder and boots.

The soles of the boots are maintained flat against the body or strip 1 to enable them to dry while retaining their required shape. The shoes or boots are released from the device by swinging the handles 22 to the open position. This automatically causes, under the action of springs 14, opening movement of the pivoted plates 8 and clamps 11, whereby the boots are completely released.

Springs 14 pivot plates 8 until sleeves 2t) abut strip 1. It is unnecessary to apply any pivoting movement directly on pivoted plate, as was often necesssary with the device in accordance with U.S. Patent 2,680,258.

The springs 14, once the handle members 22 are unlocked, maintain the clamps 11 in open position, so that the clamps are always readily available for clamping a pair of boots. In the last-mentioned U.S. patent, it was often necessary to first pull outwardly on the handle members 22 to open the clamps, or to directly pivot plates 8 in open position, in order to insert the toe portion of the boot sole.

With the system in accordance with the invention, these operations are completely eliminated, as the coil springs 14 always bring the clamp 11 in open position as soon as the handle member is released. This has the further advantage of preventing breakage of the system by persons who are not mechanically inclined. In fact, if the clamp remains in closed position, the tendency is to pull outwardly on the handle member to try to open the clamp. In fact, this presses the clamp more in closed position. Therefore, the improvement in accordance with the invention eliminates frustration in the operation of the clamp, breakage of the same and considerably facilitates the manipulation of the clamp between open and closed position. This is especially important, because it will be appreciated that shoe holders in accordance with the invention are particularly adapted to be used in connection with ski boots and, therefore, often have to be manipulated in cold weather.

What I claim is:

1. In a shoe holder comprising a fiat strip, means at one end of the strip for engaging the heels of a pair of shoes arranged on opposite sides of the strip, toe clamps adjacent the opposite end of the strip for engaging the front ends of the soles of said pair of shoes, each of said toe clamps consisting of a pivoted member having a handle pivotally attached to it, said pivoted member being pivotable between a shoe sole clamping position and a shoe sole releasing position, a spring member located between said pivoted member and said strip and engaging said pivoted member and strip to resiliently urge said pivoted member in shoe sole releasing position, said handles being movable to a position to lock the pivoted member against pivotal movement when said members are located in their shoe retaining position, said spring member including a spring wire having a central U-shaped portion bearing against the underside of said pivoted member, coil portions at both ends of said U-shaped portions, each coil portion substantially coaxial with the pivot axis of said pivoted member, said coil portions having extensions bearing against said strip.

2. In a shoe holder comprising a flat strip, means at one end of the strip for engaging the heels of a pair of shoes arranged on opposite sides of the strip, toe clamps adjacent the opposite end of the strip for engaging the front ends of the soles of said pair of shoes, each of said toe clamps consisting of a pivoted member having a handle pivotally attached to it, said pivoted member being pivotable between a shoe sole clamping position and a shoe sole releasing position, a spring member located between said pivoted member and said strip and engaging said pivoted member and strip to resiliently urge said pivoted member in shoe sole releasing position, said handles being movable to a position to lock the pivoted member against pivotal movement when said members are located in their shoe retaining position.

3. A shoe hoider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivoted member includes a plate having a rounded flanged edge portion at its end opposite to the end carrying said handle member, said central U-shaped portion of said spring member engaging said flanged edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,074,085 l/l963 Salzman l2l20.5 3,145,402 8/1964 Kaminski l2l20.5 3,237,226 3/1966 Gjesdahl l2120.5

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

